Safety-latch for elevator-gates.



C. L. BURST.

SAFETY LATCH FOR ELEVATOR GATES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I8. I9I6. a a Patented Jan. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ATTORNEY mr Nrwiers I'ETENS co.FHL7m-Ltn(c. WASHINGVUN. u c.

L. BURST.

SAFETY LATCH FOR ELEVATOR GATES,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I8, I915.

.Iai'tnnfed Jan. 332, II)! 2 SHEETS-"SHEET 2.

Ii m INVEi-ITGR WITNESSES CHARLES I4. BOBST, OF ATCHISOFI', KANSAS.

SAFETY-LATCH FOR ELEVATOR-GATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 23, 191?.

Application filed. March 18, 1916. Serial No. 85,125.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES L. Bons'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atchison, in the county of Atchison and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Latches for Elevator-Gates, of .which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic catches for elevator gates and has for its primary object to provide a catch for an elevator gate that will be automatic in its operation and adapted to be fixed to a side wall of the elevator for engagement with the gates provided in the elevator shaft on each floor of the building in which the elevator operates.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatic catch which may, by simple reversing of the latch member be made to vary in its amount of pressure exerted on the projection of the elevator gate whenever the weight of the elevator gate varies.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatic catch for elevator gates which may be laterally adjusted to strike the projection from the elevator gate, to cause a greater or less pivotal motion of the gate lifting cam. I

The invention further aims to provide an automatic catch for elevator gates that may be mounted upon the elevator in a number of places for operating the gate of the elevator exit while the elevator is traveling either upwardly or downwardly.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatic catch that will be easily accessible to cause the adjustment thereof to be made and which will be simple in construction, consisting of comparatively few parts and durable and efficient in use.

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an elevator, the principal frame work partly broken away to disclose the safety catch at the top of the elevator, the elevator gate being shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig; 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the safety catch in detail. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the trip member which moves upwardly and downwardly with the movement of the gate.

As is well known in the construction of elevators, an opening is provided on each floor of the building in which the elevator operates and in which a gate is arranged for raising and lowering as the elevator approaches or leaves the opening in the shaft. The means for operating these gates must be positive in action and operation so that no danger of the gates failure to close will occurat any time, nor any possibility of the gates failure to open as the elevator approaches the opening in the elevator shaft on each floor of the building.

To accomplish the purposes above set forth and to obviate the difficulties usually occasioned in devices of this character, I provide a plurality of safety catches which are mounted upon the elevator A, each safety catch consisting of a plate 1 which is provided. with elongated slots 2 through which are extended fastening screws or bolts 3 which are secured to the side wall A of the elevator. A flange 4C is formed at one end of the plate 1 at right angles thereto and has mounted thereon and at its lower face, a fiat spring 5. Secured to the plate 1 at the end opposite to the one on which the flange 4 is formed, is the pivot bolt 6 which has mounted thereon, a latch 7 consisting of a pair of oppositely extending fingers 8 and 9. The inner face of the latch 7 is provided with a rectangular block 10 through which the pivot bolt 6 is adapted to extend, the opening 11 for the pivot bolt 6 being off center so that one side of the block 10 extends from the pivot point 6 to a greater distance than the opposite side of the block. A spring member 5 is adapted to engage with the upper face of the block 10 and to exert a pressure thereon, which increases by reason of the stiffness of the spring 5 when the latch 7 is turned upon its pivot.

The uprights B of the elevator shaft are provided with grooves in which the gate 0 is arranged for vertical sliding movement and attached to the gate C at the center of its upper edge is the rope D which passes rotation on the framework of the elevator I cleat 12 so that it will be free to slide upwardly and downwardly.

A trigger finger 15 extends outwardly from the member 13 and into the elevator shaft in a position that will be in the path of the up and down movement of the latch 7. The free end of the rope D is secured in an eye-bolt 16 which is fixed at the top of the member 13; a weight W is attached to the hook 17 on one side of the member 13. It will be seen that when the gate C is raised or lowered, an up and down movement will be imparted to the member 13, by reason of the flexible connection D. The safety catch above described is mounted at the bottom of the elevator on the outside wall thereof and the latch is in position to contact with the trigger finger 15 during the up and down movement of the elevator, and is used exclusively to raise the gates when the elevator is descending to a position whereby the exit from the elevator may be opened for passage therethrough. Assuming the gate to be in closed position and the elevator to be descending, the latch finger 8 lying in the path of the trigger finger 15 will, when the elevator descends, strike the trigger finger 15 and with the assistance of the weight which will be but about two pounds lighter in weight than the weight of the gate and by virtue of the pressure of the spring 5 on the block 10, cause the member 13 to slide downwardly on the cleat 12, pulling on the rope D and thereby raising the gate high enough to allow the passengers in the elevator to step out upon the landing. When the elevator continues to descend, the member 13 will strike the bottom of the openings of the gate and stop, whereby the latch member will rotate upon its pivot 6 against the action of the flat spring 5 and allow the trigger finger 15 to pass the end of the latch. The gate, being of a greater weight than the weight WV will descend to its closed position.

To raise the gate to openposition when the elevator is ascending, the gate is provided at each side thereof with trip fingers 18 which are secured thereto by means of rivets, bolts or other securing elements. The top of the elevator structure, at each side thereof, is provided with a safety catch which is of thesame construction as the one above described and the latch thereof is placed in a position that will cause it to be in a path of movement whereby it will con tact with the trip members 18 when the elevator is ascending. The elevator gate will thereby'be raised to open position as shown by Fig. 1 of :the drawings, when it reaches its limit of upward movement the latch will'rotate upon its pivot and the elevator will pass on upwardly whereupon the gatewill close by reason of its weight which is slightly greater than the weight of the weight W as previously described.

In the event of the necessity for varying the pressure of the spring 5 it is only necessary to give a half turn to the latch 7 so that the finger 9, instead of the'finger. 8, will be in alinement with the triggerfifinger 15, and the short end of the block 10 will be engaged by the spring 5 thereby causing. a lesspressure to be exerted by the spring 5 than would be exerted on the long end of the block 10.

If the weight of the gateshouldibe excessive to such an extent as to cause the pressure of the spring 5 tobe insufiicient to operate the gate, the plate lmay be moved forwardly to. shorten the length of-the leverage, by causing the trigger finger 15 to strike the latch member at a point nearerto its pivot 6. lVhile the pressure of the spring will not be increased, the force necessary to trip the latch member will be greater, since the leverage will be shorter and for this reason a gate of greater weight may be employed if necessary.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a very simple and durable automatic latch for an elevator gate has been provided, the details of which embody the preferred form. I desire it to be understood however, that slight changes or modifications in the minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim:

1. In combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, trip members carried by said gate at each side thereof, a latch rotatably mounted on each side of said elevator at its upper end, and a similar latch disposed at the bottom of said elevator at the exterior thereof, resilient means secured to said elevator and engaging each of said latches, each of said latches provided with means for altering the pressure exerted by said resilient means on said latches whereby a different pressure will be required to swing said latches on their pivots, said trip members adapted to engage the uppermost of said latches, and a slidably mounted trip member flexibly connected to said gate and adapted to engage the lowermost latch at the bottom of said elevator.

2. In-combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, trip members carried by said gate, and means carried by said elevator and arranged for-intermittent engagement with said trip members, including flat springs, said means including blocks having resilient engagement with said flat spring elements, said blocks being provided with pivot pins disposed at one side of the center line of the blocks whereby the pressure exerted by said resilient elements on said blocks may be altered for varying the pressure required to release said means for intermittent engagement with said trip members.

3. In combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, trip members carried by said gate at each side thereof, a plate mounted on each side of said elevator and provided with an outwardly extending flange at one end, each of said plates carrying a flat spring having its end secured to said flange, said springs extending longitudinally along the sides of said plates, means carried by each of said plates and adapted to intermittently engage said trip members, said means including blocks contacting with the ends of said flat springs, said blocks being provided with pivot pins disposed at one side of the center line of the blocks whereby the pressure exerted by said flat springs on said blocks may be altered for varying the pressure required to release said means for intermittent engagement with said trip members.

4. In combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, of a latch pivotally mounted, a substantially rectangular plate secured to the side of the elevator and having a screw threaded aperture provided adjacent one of its ends, a pivot pin screw threadedly mounted in said aperture and extending outwardly from said plate for pivotally receiving said latch, a block integrally formed with said latch and interposed between said latch and said plate, a spring engaging said block, said spring having one of its ends fixed to said plate, a cleat secured to the frame-work of said exit, and a trigger member flexibly connected to said gate and slidably mounted for vertical movement on said cleat and extending into the path of movement of said latch.

5. In combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, a plate secured t0,the wall of said elevator, a latch pivotally mounted on said plate, a spring secured to one end of said plate, a block integrally formed with said latch and, a pivot pin extending through said latch and said block and having its ends secured to said plate, said pivot pin extending through said block in a line to one side of the center line of the block whereby one side of said block will project a greater distance from said pin than the opposite side of said block, and a trip finger mounted upon the elevator gate and in alinement with said latch.

6. In combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, trip members carried by said gate at each side thereof a latch rotatably mounted on each side of said elevator, resilient means secured to said elevator at each side thereof and engaging each of said latches, and means for altering the pressure exerted by said resilient means on said latches whereby a different pressure will be required to swing said latches on their pivots.

7. In combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, trip members carried by said gate at each side thereof, a latch rotatably mounted on each side of said elevator, a flat spring having one of its ends fixed, a block formed integrally with said latch and arranged between said latch and said plate, said flat spring having its free end engaging one side of said block, a pivot pin extended through said latch and said block and fastened to said plate, the center line of said pivot pin being disposed at one side of the center of said block whereby one side or the other of said block may be swung into engagement with said spring for varying the pressure required to swing said latch on its pivot.

8. In combination with an elevator having an elevator gate vertically movable in the exit from said elevator, trip members carried by said gate at each side thereof, a latch rotatably mounted on each side in said elevator at the top thereof and a third latch disposed on one side of the elevator at the bottom thereof, a flat spring having one of its ends fixed and its opposite end engaging said latch, means for altering the pressure exerted by said spring on said latch whereby a diiferent pressure will be required to swing said latch on its pivot, a flexible element having one of its terminals secured to said gate whereby said gate may be raised or lowered, and a trigger finger attached to said flexible element and adapted to co-act with said third latch for operating said gate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. BORST.

Witnesses:

WM. T. JooI-IEMs, D. B. OLIVER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Fatenta Washington, D. G. 

